Galaxy Note

Verizon's statement on Samsung's latest effort to recall all Galaxy Note 7 units in the USA is telling. In the statement, Verizon makes clear that they will not be pushing a software update sent by Samsung for the device. The device would essentially render the smartphone useless as it'll disable all charging indefinitely. Samsung disagrees with the method, suggesting that they will not put their customers in such a position during the holiday season.

This week the folks at Samsung have released the Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge in several countries. It's important to note that this update is not the final release, just a Beta. It's also important to note that this Beta release is available to the public - it's not just closed off to certain users with VIP status.

Apple's earnings call this afternoon included a mention of the Galaxy Note 7 and Samsung's disaster of a recall therein. On the call that accompanied the earnings release, Apple made clear that Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 recall wasn't affecting iPhone sales negatively or positively. This, they said, was because Apple can't make enough iPhones to meet current demand as it is - so nothing else is going to affect them either way.

Samsung is trying to stem the blood loss caused when the Galaxy Note 7 failed and had to be recalled due to fire risk. In South Korea the smartphone giant is trying something new and interesting to keep customers in its home country with the brand. Under the new Note 7 trade-in program any South Korean user who trades their recall device in on a Galaxy S7 with flat or curved screens will be eligible for another upgrade later.

It's come to our attention that thousands of Samsung Galaxy S7 users have begun searching for details on their own device's recall. In reality, Samsung has issued no such recall for the Galaxy S7. It's the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 that's been recalled, while the Galaxy S7 (a completely different device) has had no issues as such. The trending of this topic is just the latest in a series of unfortunate events that've created what's essentially a perfect storm of negative publicity for the brand.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 users that purchased their phone earlier than last week and haven't exchanged them for a new unit: yes, this is an "exploding phone." One of the top search terms at Google over the past week related to the Galaxy Note 7 has been "exploding" edged out just a bit by the word "recall". Today Samsung made it clear where Galaxy Note 7 owners should go to participate in a recall, and how they'll know if their device is, indeed, a new model.

Samsung is facing a very large recall with about three dozen of its Galaxy Note 7 flagship devices having caught fire while charging due to faulty batteries. This has left Samsung to a recall that is expected to cost the company and the battery supplier in the area of $1 billion to make right. With the risk of fire from these devices, word came down this week that the FAA might ban the device from being carried on airplanes in the US. Airlines in Australia were even faster with banning Samsung's phablet from certain use scenarios during flights.

A new sort of home button for the iPhone 7 could be just the feature boost the company needs to bridge the gap between 2016 and the 10-year anniversary of the device. We've thus far been told by tipsters that very little would change between the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 7 - a slightly better camera, perhaps another color metal made available, a different arrangement of antenna lines. What's the big deal, users might wonder, isn't this supposed to be a "tic" year in Apple's trend of "tic tock tic tock?" Perhaps it still is, but next year could be a tic too.

It's not quite time for the Galaxy Note 7 from Samsung to arrive on our doorstep, but we've been given another glimpse. Today we're seeing another vision of the device - not another version, but another view - this time straight on with a sticker on top. This is one of several devices that appear to be part of a testing group in Asia, where users seem to have no fear of leaking said material before the actual reveal and launch this August - more than likely. Today's views are also a lot clearer than yesterday's back in black collection of images.

The front panel of the Galaxy Note 7 has leaked in a single photo which confirms several details about the upcoming handset. This device is coming in black - we could have guessed that bit. This device also has a physical home button, as all Galaxy devices have since the beginning. The feature inclusion we'd known from insider sources previously and can confirm further today is in the array of circles near the top of the device's front here.

The Galaxy Note 5 has received an update (so to speak) which gives a Beta glimpse at the future of the next device in line. That's the Galaxy Note 7, we're to understand, bypassing the name of the device that'd more sensibly come there since each successive Galaxy Note has had a number which comes after the last. Now we're matching up with the Galaxy S series, which is also at 7. This update we're speaking of is a Beta release of a user interface update to the Galaxy Note series, giving us hints as to the functionality of the Note 7 in the process.

Reading rumors about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 7, or Galaxy Note 6, or Galaxy Note7, is like watching a tennis match. The continuous back and forth tips and leaks from sources will leave you undecided whether it will be a flat version only or a curved edge version only. Based on this latest leak of the smartphone's logos, apparently there will be both. Perhaps Samsung itself couldn't make up its mind which version the market will really root for, so it's just going to stick to its tried and true method of throwing in both and seeing which one survives.